Wishful Thinking: Preface
by Shamera
Summary: What if Amiboshi's wish came true...? Consists of Prologue, Chapters 1 and 2
1. Prologue

*sweatdrop* Yes, Nuriko is my favorite character! But I just love the   
twins too much, I guess. ^_^;; I like Amiboshi better, but I love the   
both of them. They have interesting characters, so sue me! I've even   
gotten to the point when I can tell which twin is which by looking at   
them!! Eh! What's happening to me?!  
  
Summory: I'm just playing God. What if Amiboshi's wish came true? The one   
thing he wished for aloud in the series... but things aren't as happy as   
they seem. Oh, for those who doesn't know, I'm using the twins' REAL   
names, and not their seishi names.   
  
Warning! I am COMPLETELY ignoring what happened in Ryuuseiden! Most of   
the people haven't read that book yet... -_-;; but when they do, I just   
wanted them to know. None of that happened (Well, except the parents   
getting killed thing) and I rewrote all of that! ^_^ Just tellin' ya.  
The twins stayed TOGETHER.  
  
Note for those who don't know: Ryuuseisui means "shooting star spindle".   
It took me a while to get that one... _;;  
  
  
Wishful Thinking: Preface  
by: Shamera  
  
  
"Aniki!"  
  
Bu Koutoku looked over his shoulder to see his twin, Shunkaku, waving at   
him eagerly in the lake. The two boys had been traveling for a while now,   
and Shun had been dying to do something other than walk.  
  
"Aniki! There's so much water!" Shun was laughing as he splashed around,   
playing with the water that had been so precious to them before. The   
younger twin was practically squealing with delight at the shiny surface   
of the liquid.  
  
Koutoku gave his brother a small smile as he waved back, not answering.   
There was work to do, clothes to wash in the water, and food to gather.   
And it had to be fast if he was to loose the people that had been   
following him. Shun-chan hadn't noticed, but Koutoku had seen a few men   
at the last three villages they had been. It was unnerving, actually,   
how the men had once sent murderous glances the twins' way. Actually,   
just towards Koutoku's way.   
  
"Aniki!" Shunkaku sounded annoyed now, "Why aren't you answering?"  
  
But Koutoku was too scared to answer. He had been scared the entire trip   
out of the last village. He and Shun were only twelve, yet they had lived   
on their own for years. There was work to do... no time to play at the   
moment.   
  
He continued to clean the fruits he had gathered with a small cloth,   
pretending that he hadn't heard his twin. Food to gather, clothes to   
clean....  
  
A face appeared before Koutoku as he walked down the lake to see if   
there were any edible plants there. Shunkaku had a small frown on his   
face, his expression different than when Koutoku was annoyed. Even so,   
the Elder sibling could tell Shun-chan was worried.  
  
"You're so quiet today, aniki." Shun was saying. He had his hands on his   
hips, a very cute gesture from the pre-teen, one that made him look   
younger than he was. "And you look scared, too... ano... are you okay?   
You're not sick, are you?" Shun looked very worried when he said the last   
statement. It had always been him who was sick, and not his aniki. He   
wouldn't know what to do if aniki was sick...  
  
"I'm fine, Shun," His aniki said with a gentle smile. Aniki was always so   
gentle... it was strange to believe that Shun, who was always the   
energetic one, was always the sicker one. Aniki was rarely ever sick,   
even though he seemed tired all the time. "I guess I'm just hoping we can   
catch up to the next village before the end of the day."  
  
Shunkaku creased his brow. "But we barely left the last village this   
morning, aniki," he pouted. Getting to another village before sunfall   
meant hours and hours of walking, and walking, and walking.... he knew   
that as soon as the sun set, they had to stop traveling in fear of wild   
animals in the dark. Somehow, aniki could always keep the animals away   
with his flute, but its music scared Shunkaku. He liked it better when   
aniki was playing his music so that Shun could go to sleep.  
  
Koutoku gave his younger twin an apolopetic look. "I'm sorry, Shun, but I   
just have a very bad feeling about this forest." Well, it wasn't exactly   
a lie. Even though he was already hopping from one foot to another in   
nervousness.   
  
Shun frowned. Okay, he could accept that... but aniki had been acting   
weird for the last few days already. He never had any time to play with   
him...! It was frustrating, how aniki would finish something, and then   
move on directly to another, never giving his younger twin a second   
glance.   
  
Sure, Shunkaku had chores too... and he helped his aniki a lot, but he   
liked playing between the times when they HAD to do something. He was a   
kid, too! He didn't want to grow up so fast...  
  
Koutoku gave a smile and a brief hug to his brother, promising to play   
with him in the next village, and then trotted over to the bushes that   
grew near the river to look for berries. They still had some money from   
him playing the flute in town, but that wasn't enough to everything that   
he and his brother needed. They still needed to pay for somewhere to   
sleep as well as new clothes. Food was something that they could gather,   
and not have to buy.  
  
Besides, he had gotten otooto-chan a Ryuuseisui. He had wanted one so   
badly, and he wasn't the type to want too many things. Why not?   
Shun-chan had been very helpful... although he still couldn't play the   
flute, and Koutoku glared at him when certain words were said to vent   
the frustration, he understood. It was okay if Shun didn't know how to   
play. He was helpful in his very own way.  
  
He still remembered the glee on his twin's face when he found out.   
Shunkaku had been practicing the toy constantly, never able to get it to   
work, but not trying up. Koutoku had long ago stopped trying to figure   
out just how the thing worked. But if Shun wanted to learn his way, his   
aniki wasn't going to stop him.  
  
Meanwhile, Shunkaku had considered playing in the water, which was   
something that he did very rarely, or help his aniki, which was something   
he did everyday.  
  
Breathing out a frustrated sigh, the poor boy went over to the small   
packs that he and his aniki had. There wasn't a lot, just some extra   
clothes, a bit of food, and the Ryuuseisui that his brother had given   
him. Of course, aniki always had his flute with him.   
  
Shunkaku winced as he remembered when he had tried to take aniki's flute   
away from him. It was just that it had been the last time he and aniki   
argued. Well... not really argue, it was more like aniki being angry with   
him. It was the last time they disagreed, and the first time that aniki   
had gotten angry and him.  
  
It was just that Koutoku was always practicing on his flute! He did it   
on his free time, of course, just like Shunkaku played on his free time.   
But then, Shunkaku didn't have anyone to play with on his free time if   
aniki was always playing his flute. It was just not fair, so he had taken   
the flute one day, hoping that aniki would think he lost it.  
  
Too bad Koutoku knew exactly what happened to his flute. It was scary,   
aniki angry at him. Koutoku wasn't usually angry. In fact, he was very   
rarely angry. Very few things made him angry. Guess taking the flute was   
one of them.  
  
Shun sighed a bit as he rummaged through their things, his hands pulling   
the Ryuuseisui out. Where was that bag that aniki used to keep the   
berries?  
  
Before he could find it, he noted a shadow overlapping his own. Freezing,   
Shun's eyes widened. The shadow was huge, and he didn't know who was   
behind him... hadn't he and aniki been the only ones in the forest?  
  
But the shadow was only close to him... the man the shadow belonged to   
seemed to be moving away from him. That meant no harm, hoping just other   
wanderers passing by. But... you could never be too sure. Shun breathed   
a sigh of relief, but turned as silently as he could, glad that aniki had   
left the packs nearly under a bush. Perhaps it was only because they   
hadn't seen him....  
  
Eyes automatically pinpointing where Koutoku was, Shunkaku looked over to   
the big man who had startled him so. There was...  
  
"Aniki! No!"  
  
Koutoku turned at his brother's voice, his eyes concerned.   
  
Because of the sudden movement, the sharp stick that the man had been   
holding skimmed Koutoku's shoulder, tearing the shirt, but only   
scratching the skin a bit. Koutoku turned fully at the unexpected pain,   
shock evident in his face. He dropped and rolled away from the man as   
fast as possible.  
  
Shunkaku looked on in horror, trying to get his legs to move so that he   
could go help his brother. Before he could do so, he felt a hand cover   
his mouth tightly, and another one going around his waist, trapping his   
arms. His eyes widened, and he tried to scream.  
  
"No need for that, lil' boy." He heard a deep, snickering voice from   
behind him. "Don't worry, you won't be harmed. Just need to get rid of   
the f*cking Suzaku, that's all." There was a deep laughter that followed   
that.  
  
Shun didn't hear what the man said, rather concentrating on escaping to   
get to his brother. He struggled violently in vain, not able to overpower  
the bigger man.  
  
"Donno what a Suzaku's doing in Kotou." The man continued, ignoring   
Shunkaku's struggles. "Damnest thing ever."  
  
Between Shunkaku's struggles, and Koutoku's frantic dodging, no one was  
really noticing when the Ryuuseisui besides the small packs began to   
rise without anyone holding it. It seemed a little shakey, acting like a   
puppet whose strings had been cut. But the twin balls soon rose into the  
air and began spinning on its own accord, slowly but steadily.   
  
The other twin was doing less than well. His flute had been knocked away  
from him as soon as he got it out, and his symbol had been revealed. It  
was strange, Koutoku had always thought, that he had a red symbol while  
he was born in Kotou... He knew the legend about Seiryuu no Miko, but   
didn't know if there was one that was the same in Konan about Suzaku no  
Miko. It seemed a possibility.  
  
He got up to his feet shakily as the dark man laughed.   
  
"You don't think you can escape me, do ya, ya damn Suzaku?"  
  
With that, the man lunged at Koutoku, a dagger in his hand.  
  
"Don't touch aniki!"  
  
A spinning Ryuuseisui that looked awfully familar slammed into the man's  
head, knocking him unconcious on the ground. The Ryuuseisui was swerving  
like crazy, unable to control itself, but it was still dead on target.  
  
Shunkaku's eyes were wide. Wow! That was what the Ryuuseisui could do?   
But as his thinking got through the basic survival instancts, the   
weapon started to dropped to the ground.   
  
Oh no, oh no! This couldn't happen! Shunkaku struggled in the man's   
grasp, finally finding the courage to bite the hand's hand... HARD.   
  
"OW! Ya lil' *brat*!!!" The man howled as he dropped the younger twin,   
leaving him bouncing to a stop on the ground. The man clutched at his   
hand, trying to stop the bleeding, and cursing violently.   
  
Shunkaku gritted his teeth hard as he hit the ground hard. Sure, he had  
not been dropped from any distance, but he had intinctively curled up  
into a fetal position as he fell, making the length longer.  
  
Koutoku was already racing towards his younger twin, flute in hand. He   
seemed to try and ignore the other man who was lying on the ground   
silently.   
  
"Leave Shun-chan alone!" Koutoku shouted, coming to a stop before Shun.  
  
Shunkaku had done the only thing he could and had rolled away from the   
angry man, right behind his brother, who stood in front of him in good   
measure, face determined as he raised his flute to his lips.  
  
Koutoku blew into the flute softly, making sure that Shunkaku had already  
covered his ears so the music wouldn't hurt him. The furious man who   
was sent by whoever to kill the boys narrowed his eyes as the two young  
boys stood in front of him rebelliously.  
  
Suddenly, the music came out. The man screamed without shame, for he   
felt as if his head was being blown apart.   
  
Using his given power, the symbol on Koutoku's arm appeared, as it   
usually did when he was playing his flute. Because of the torn shirt,   
however, it was now visible to everyone around.   
  
Shunkaku, who hadn't seen the symbol before, widened his eyes, realizing  
exactly why the two men wanted to kill his brother now.   
  
After merely moments, the man covered his ears as tightly as possible   
and sent a deadly glare Koutoku's way before running into the surrounding  
forest.  
  
***  
  
The two boys sat down in a heap in the room that they had rented. It   
took about eight hours, but the boys had skipped everything after the   
incident and packed up, running the entire way to the next town. At   
least in town, there would be people who would stop men from trying to   
kill or kidnap two young boys.   
  
The sun was setting outside, the view from the window quiet dazzling.   
The candle had already made its way into the room, lit and flickering   
occasionally.   
  
The two boys were silent, having not said a word from after what had  
happened that day. They both looked down on the ground guiltily.   
  
"Aniki..." Shunkaku tried, looking up at his brother. Then, he froze  
and looked down back on the ground, silent once again. He gave a little  
sigh, not wanting to start the conversation first, no matter how much   
he wanted to talk to his aniki about this.   
  
Koutoku was just staring at the ground, pretending that he hadn't heard  
his younger twin. His eyes stayed focused on the wooden ground which   
they had used up a fair amount of money on.   
  
"Shun-chan," Koutoku said quickly, the work itself making Shunkaku's   
head snap up with wide eyes, wondering what his twin was about to say.  
"I'm..." his voice felt drained for some reason. Swallowing hard, he   
tried again. "I'm sorry... for not telling you before."  
  
Shunkaku looked at his aniki sadly, his mirror image. Who, currently,   
had his head bent at an angle which made his bangs cover his eyes.   
  
"I was worried. When I first discovered the symbol, I thought that   
Seiryuu wanted me to protect his Miko... but I realized that there was  
something wrong with the color. Seiryuu was blue... and only Suzaku   
was red in color." Koutoku shifted his feet uneasily.  
  
"You still could have told him, aniki." Shun-chan accused, his voice   
light. Yes, he was angry with aniki for not telling him, but he knew   
that aniki was only trying to protect him, so the anger had drained   
out many hours ago. He could never stay angry at aniki.  
  
"I know." The response was soft.  
  
"Because... what I discovered today..." Shunkaku bit his lip. "When I   
saw the symbol on you, and discovered what I could do with the Ryuuseisui  
there... I found a symbol, too."  
  
Koutoku's head snapped up sharply, giving Shunkaku a clear view that   
there were tears swimming in his brother's eyes. When Koutoku realized  
that Shun was seeing that, he quickly wiped the tears away.   
  
"A symbol? You too?" Koutoku breathed.  
  
Shunkaku nodded, but not in joy. Pushing up his sleeve, he revealed a   
symbol on his shoulder, just like his brother. Except... all except   
for the fact that... the symbol was blue.   
  
"I discovered it on the run." Shunkaku explained, seeing the tears once  
again cloud his twin's eyes. Even he was choking on the strange and   
salty water. "After I remembered that I hadn't even touched the   
Ryuuseisui to make it attack the other man, I saw the symbol. I realized  
what it was too soon."  
  
Seeing no visible response from his twin, Shunkaku leaned over and   
hugged his brother around the waist tightly, shutting his eyes in hopes  
of closing out all the impending demons.   
  
Koutoku was frozen, torn between comforting Shun-chan and just getting  
up and walking out of the room. After a few moments of staying in the   
same position, Koutoku relaxed, and put his arms around his younger   
brother's shoulders. "It's okay, Shun-chan," he soothed, not sure if   
the words were meant to calm himself or his twin. "If neither of us   
takes sides, they can't force us away."  
  
"But..." Shunkaku shook his head furiously at the thought of being taken  
away from his brother. "Seiryuu and Suzaku are enemies!"  
  
"Then," Koutoku took a deep breath as his mind was made up. "We'll make  
peace with them both. But until then, we can look for a town to stay in  
at the border, so that each of us still represents the same. Besides,"  
Koutoku smiled as he thought of it, "It'll be a little too far for the   
civil wars to follow us. There'll be people there who are friends with   
both Konan and Kotou citizens."  
  
Without loosening his grip, Shunkaku opened his eyes and looked up at   
his aniki, who was smiling down at him. Seeing that his aniki was   
satisfied with the idea, Shun nodded.  
  
"Then as soon as possible, we'll head for the border." Koutoku said   
with a smile for his twin, resting a hand on his hair.   
  
Shunkaku nodded again, and fought an impending yawn.  
  
Koutoku laughted. "...after we get some rest."  
  
Shunkaku just grinned sheepishly. This would be the start of a new life  
for them, if they didn't have to travel so much. To stay in one town   
for as long as the respective Miko arrives. Whenever each one does.   
Then the other would wait until their duty was done, and get back to   
their own life.  
  
They didn't know just how many pieces that dream would shatter into.  
  
  
  
  
End Preface 


	2. Chapter 1

The twins' story... if Koutoku had been a Suzaku Seishi. My experiment?   
Nothing in the series had broken the twins' bond, not even death. The   
only thing that seperated them was love. Love of peace, and love of a   
girl. Now, that I can understand- but to make the situation even more   
complicated here, would being enemies born by blood break the bond that   
they have? Would *duty* and *destiny* force them apart?  
  
  
  
  
Wishful Thinking: Chapter 1  
"Hopeful Future"  
by: Shamera  
  
  
Koutoku gave his twin an encouraging smile as Shunkaku eyed the   
flute wearily. They were both sitting underneath the shade of a tree, in   
a town that was far off from the border of Kotou, and Konan.   
  
Shunkaku gave an exaggerated sigh and tried blowing in the flute   
gently. What came out made both the twins wince slightly. He then let out  
the breath of air in another sigh, not remembering that he still had the   
flute to his mouth and making Koutoku cover his ears with the last note.  
  
"Oh! Sorry!" Shunkaku said sheepishly, lowering the flute. It had   
been three years since they had settled in the village, where everyone   
there had been very nice and offered a place to stay. Oh course, Kou-chan  
had decided that them just staying seemed to be imposing on their kind-  
ness, and had insisted that they help the town in whatever work possible.  
  
Luckily, the people there promised that they would call on the   
twins when they needed help, but that was rare in itself. Shunkaku knew  
that the villagers appreciated them, and was helping them only because   
children were rare in that village, for some reason.   
  
Which, for the most part, had its ups and downs.   
  
Firstly, Shunkaku didn't like being considered as a child, even if  
he still was one. He *was* growing up, and at fifteen- being patted on   
the head after visiting an elderly couple wasn't exactly material that   
he wanted to get used to.  
  
But the people who had been to Konan were what they were worth.   
They were kind, telling Koutoku of where to visit when he was to journey  
to Konan. Of course, Shunkaku didn't need of map of Kotou, having grown  
up wandering the country.   
  
Which came to the question... whose Miko would appear first? The   
twins had made a small bet on that, saying that the first to get called  
into duty as a Seishi would come back after summoning the God to see   
to the BEST restuarant in town.   
  
That, of course, was what Shunkaku demanded. Koutoku, though, had   
teased and said that if the Priestess of Suzaku appeared first, then   
Shun would have to clean up the mess he made in his room before Kou came  
back again.   
  
Which, had made Shun wince slightly.   
  
Back to the flute.   
  
Shunkaku was frustrated enough that he could just about BREAK that  
stupid flute... if it hadn't been for the fact that Kou-chan might get..  
well... PRETTY angry. The thought alone made Shun wince inwardly.  
  
It was Koutoku who sighed this time, obviously disappointed yet   
trying to hide it. It was very strange, really, how he was able to play  
the flute so well, yet Shunkaku could barely blow in a few notes before   
he messed up.  
  
Actually, it wasn't at all strange. Koutoku had practiced on that   
flute for all his life, and Shun-chan refused to practice until Kou-chan  
sent him a glare. Then he would shrink back and agree in a quiet voice   
to practice *just a bit* that day.  
  
Ha. He knew his twin too well. The glares were never really meant,   
just warning that Shunkaku shouldn't lounge around all day and do nothing  
at all. There was a teacher in the village who had been continuing their  
studies from where they had left off. Koutoku and Shunkaku both had   
learned everything they were supposed to learn, and Koutoku was happy   
for that.... BUT, Shun-chan didn't show that he had learned anything in  
the slightest bit.  
  
"I can't do this," Shunkaku moaned, making even his twin (who knew  
that he was faking it) feel just a bit sorry for him. Inwardly, though,   
he was full blown cursing the stupid flute.   
  
Koutoku rolled his eyes. "Oh, well." he said dejectedly. "It was   
worth a try." Or two. Or three. Or four... As much as Koutoku dragged   
Shunkaku do do *something* other than lounge around or hand with his   
friends, he just *couldn't* play a flute! Or any other musical instrument  
for that matter.  
  
Shunkaku nodded eagerly. Maybe now they would end the practices.   
It really wasn't Shun who was making all those bad noises on the flute.  
It was just that he hated that flute so much!   
  
Well... except when aniki played it.  
  
Shunkaku found himself wondering about his hatred for an inanimate  
object and concluded that to be just plain weird.   
  
The two were getting up when one of the younger adults, a young   
farmer who had played with the boys quite frequantly during their three  
years' stay, ran up to them, shouting.   
  
"Kou-chan! Shun-chan!"  
  
The twins looked up curiously, wondering what was the matter.   
  
The young farmer stopped when he was before the boys, breathing   
heavily. The twins stepped to support his arms, faces concerned.  
  
"What's the matter, Hitori-san?" Koutoku asked gently, hoping to  
get the information out of the young man.   
  
Hitori shook his head a little to clear it, having run from one   
side of the village to the other, breathless. "No... I'm fine. But we're  
been told to evacuate into Konan. Kotou Warriors have been attacking the  
villages down here, and are about to advance onto our town. Everyone else  
is packing up for the journey before the soldiers get here."  
  
Koutoku's expression became hard at the mention of the Kotou   
soldiers. He and Shun still remembered clearly what the soldiers had   
taken away from them all those years ago. It was not a pleasent memory.   
  
"We're going into Konan?" Shun asked, voice tight. "No one else is  
headed into Kotou?"  
  
Hitori shook his head. "No. They don't want to end up back in the  
civil wars. Konan is still a peaceful place, as long as Kotou doesn't   
attack. The villagers are trying to get as a far as possible and I   
suggest you do the same for your sake."  
  
Koutoku nodded thoughtfully. He then looked up from Hitori and   
eyed his twin. "Well, looks like we have to step into Konan for a while."  
  
Shunkaku frowned. He didn't like the sound of that.  
  
***  
  
The next three days proved to be dangerous ones. As soon as the   
villagers entered the Konan border and into the country to seek   
protection, Shun had a bad feeling about being there. Something was   
telling him that he needed to be in Kotou at the moment, not in the   
enemy's territory.  
  
The younger twin shook his head furiously to keep that thought   
out. Koutoku wasn't his enemy! Just because that they had been thrown on  
different sides didn't mean that they were going to go up against each   
other.   
  
But the truth had been revealed once the reached Konan. Suzaku no   
Miko had been found, and was currently staying at the Palace. She had   
already found three of her seishi, and is gathering more by the day.   
  
It was nightfall already, but no one was outside to approciate it   
for they were all alseep. The villagers had barely escaped the tide of  
Kotou soldiers by a day, and were still on a run. They had to sleep when  
they could, and couldn't afford time to waste on watching the clouds.   
  
Shunkaku sighed as he shifted in his bed. He was feeling an urge   
to go back to Kotou already, and felt very nervous about being in the   
country of the Pheonix. Every time he went to sleep here, he had night-  
mares about being devoured by a red beam of light, seemingly coming out  
of nowhere.   
  
He wanted to get back to Kotou. It wasn't the homesickness about   
the village. He had never really settled down since their parents' death,  
and didn't wish to do so in the small village, no matter how welcome and   
friendly the people were. He just felt a... rope *pulling* him back to   
the country of his birth. He felt a need to go back.   
  
But that would be abandoning his twin when Kou-chan needed help   
the most. Shunkaku had to help him find Suzaku no Miko and then slip   
back into Kotou until the God had been summoned and the older twin's   
work was done.   
  
Then they would wait for Seiryuu no Miko, and then do what they   
did before, only vice versa.   
  
It was all so simple. So why did Shun have this feeling that things  
were going to turn out ugly in the next few months?  
  
Gazing out the small window from his position on the bed, Shun   
tried to think of a time when he had just stopped to watch the stars.   
He couldn't really remember, only knowing that he had felt really bad   
that night and aniki had been out helping some farmer.   
  
Watching his twin in Konan did nothing but make Shunkaku feel...  
sad. Koutoku was happy here, even though they were on the run and warning  
the nearby villages as they passed. The people here were not surprised  
about Kotou's advances, but was weary of the people that came across   
the border. However, they still treated them as individuals and gave   
them food and a place to stay while they were on the run.   
  
Listening carefully to the creatures of the night and aniki's   
nearly silent breathing, Shunkaku began worrying about their future. It   
was usually Koutoku who stayed up at night and worried, thinking of ways   
to make things better. He was used to doing it.   
  
Breathing out a sigh, Shun curled up into his usual position and   
tugged a bit on the covers. He would think about things like that on a   
later date, when there was proof that things were going wrong. So far, it  
was just normal- even if it had not happened to the twins in the last few  
years, Kotou soldiers always attacked villages. Being on the run was   
normal, and felt more so than staying in a peaceful town.   
  
But... he would think about it later.  
  
With that thought in mind, Shunkaku closed his eyes, letting his   
body take over for the much needed rest.  
  
***  
  
It was late night when the Kotou soldiers attacked.   
  
The town had heard the pounding of hoofs on the ground and had seen  
the flames of their torches before the panicking. If there was one thing  
about Kotou soldiers that the twins knew, it was that they were evil and  
merciless, killing more so for mere pleasure than sense of duty.   
  
The twins hurried along the path into the forest, keeping some-  
where at the end to ensure that everyone got out safely. With the cries  
of the children and gasps of pain from the wounded, it was very unlikely  
that they would be able to escape.   
  
Koutoku glanced behind himself nervously, watching to make sure   
there were the exact number of people that had been there since the   
last time had looked. Shunkaku was tugging at his brother's arm, urging  
him to go faster. Since the older twin had decided they wouldn't fight  
unless either they were forced to, of the soldiers was about to seriously   
hurt someone, Shunkaku had been a bit broody. He envied his brother's   
sense of duty but could not keep from thinking that they could really do  
something. No matter if they were found out!  
  
"We've got to go back to Kotou," Shun murmured, not even realizing  
what he said. There was a need inside him to go back to his home   
country, to maybe just visit it for a while.  
  
Koutoku's head snapped around as he hadn't heard, but rather felt   
the meaning of the words. "What?" He asked, a but stunned, yet curious  
at the words his twins had said.  
  
Shunkaku blinked, then looked behind him to his brother. "Huh?"  
He asked, not understanding what Koutoku wanted to know.  
  
"You want to go back to Kotou, Shun?" Koutoku had uncertainly, all  
thoughts of the Kotou soldiers vanishing for a moment.  
  
Shun opened his mouth to try and explain what he said to his   
brother when there was a war cry from above them.   
  
The startled villagers looked up in unison.  
  
Behind them, looking like a picture from a painting, were the   
Kotou soldiers, face expressionless as they halted their horses at the  
edge of the cliff. There were so many of them... dozens of soldiers   
against the defenseless villagers.   
  
Well... not really defenseless.  
  
Shunkaku growled and took his Ryuuseisui out, noting that his twin  
now made no comment of it. The other villagers were too stunned to move,  
and too scared to run.   
  
The soldiers made no move, motionless as they examined the simple   
people under them. Watching as their terror grew, waiting for a good   
chase. The air there was thick enough to cut, cold enough to kill.   
  
The reaction of complete terror was slow, but sure. After ten   
seconds of prey and predator staring at each other, the stunned villagers  
started regaining their senses. That meant, of course, that someone soon  
screamed and bolted into the forest, leaving everything that they owned  
behind. This was followed up by a chain reaction, as that broke all the   
villagers' reverie. They also started screamed and running into the   
forest.  
  
It was at that moment that Koutoku heard the loud wailing of a   
child as the Kotou soldiers watched their reaction, primitive as beasts.   
Although he was frightened with the aspect of facing the people who had   
killed his parents, and with the fact that he would most certainly be  
hunted down and killed if they found out he was a Suzaku sei, he remained  
calm.   
  
Shun-chan was right there. Sure, he looked mad as hell at the   
moment, but Koutoku was sure that they wouldn't get hurt if they were   
together. They both wouldn't let the other be harmed.   
  
Pushing though some the lessoning crowds of people, Koutoku was   
soon by te little girl's side and picked her up handily.  
  
She stared at him with large violet eyes, filled with tears. Then,  
with a wail, she buried her face in his shoulder, letting Koutoku to   
whisper hushed reassurances to her. He gave a glance to his brother, and  
winced as he heard the noise around him. It wouldn't be easy to use his  
powers now, since he would barely be heard.   
  
This meant that for the moment, he couldn't help Shunkaku. He'd   
have to step out until most of the villagers escaped, enough so that   
a sound of a flute could be heard throughout the screams and the cries.   
  
Since the Kotou soldiers hadn't attacked yet... he'd leave it up  
to Shunkaku for the moment. But just for the moment.   
  
Meanwhile, of course, Shunkaku was mad. No, he was furious. In a  
fit of RAGE. Sure, he didn't know the villagers that well, but they had  
taken he and aniki in when they had nowhere to stay. They had taken the  
twins in for three years without question- and in Shun's book, that   
meant that the villagers were okay people.   
  
That meant they didn't deserve to die.   
  
Sparing but a glance at his brother, who was a few paces from him,  
holding a crying child in his arms, Shun could see that he was on his   
own for the time being. Koutoku would never get through the amount of   
noise and interference to bring down the soldiers at the moment.   
  
The lead Kotou soldier laughed when he saw the panic, never once   
seeing the Bo twins. Pulling the reins of his hourse to face the   
soldiers again, he gave a signal to attack. It took only moments before   
all the soldiers were charging down the hill on their horses, causing   
a tremendas rumble.   
  
Nodding to himself mentally as a reminder that aniki wouldn't be   
able to help for the time being, Shunkaku held up his Ryuuseisui. Then,   
without dropping the weapon, he let his hands rest at his sides.   
  
It took a few seconds- precious seconds that Shunkaku needed to  
concentrate, yet costed the villagers panic all around.  
  
Slowly, but surely, the blades of the Ryuuseisui started spinning.   
Slowly, slowly... the air around hummed softly with the energy unseen   
by the chaos surrounding it. Taking a final moment to ensure that he had  
complete control, Shunkaku sent out the command for the Ryuuseisui to   
attack.   
  
The twin balls shot out, reaching for the nearest enemy who was   
about to strike the final blow on a poor, defenseless villager.   
  
Koutoku never approved of the additional blades that Shunkaku had   
added, but the older twin had understood his brother's lack in security,  
as well as cautiousness. In addition, he also knew that some victories   
would not be easy to knock out with a physical object, and from a   
distance. (But Kou-chan never had any trouble knocking someone straight  
to sleep, so he was still kind of confused on Shun-chan's point of view.)  
  
Shunkaku's anger grew (if that was possible) as he saw the soldier   
about to kill a mother and her child as they huddled against the terror   
inside them. It would be lying to say that he would ever forgive an act  
such as that, had it been accomplished.  
  
So, luckily, the Ryuuseisui appeared to be much faster than that   
of the sword which was about to come down on the innocent bystanders.   
The star-shooting spindle weaved its way through the air and loomed with   
speed as it hit.  
  
**SMACK**  
  
The Kotou soldier staggered with the force of the blow, and stepped  
back to stable himself. His hands were still on the hilt of the sword,   
which was raised above his head. He looked a little page as the   
Ryuuseisui returned to Shunkaku.   
  
The large blade of the sword suddenly cut in half, the long and   
sharp metal falling calliously to the ground. The soldier continued to   
stare, awe-stricken and horrified, not even seeing the boy that did this   
until Shunkaku smirked.   
  
Well, his aniki had always scolded him about handling dangerous   
weapons, and about hurting a person by accident. By all rights, he should  
have killed the man- not accidentally, either. But he would respect   
his brother's wishes about not harming... to a certain extent.  
  
The teenaged boy did nothing but grin evilly at his challenger.   
Sire, there were more soldiers on the move now and he ahd to help the   
others- but he could not leave without a taste of victory.  
  
Tilting his head to one side, Shun gave the soldier a sweet,   
childish smile. One that would have been genuine had events been  
different, had he not grown up the way he had.   
  
The flat blade of the Ryuuseisui knocked the soldier hard over the   
head and throwing him instantly unconsious.  
  
Ignoring the looks of the terrified mother and child, Shunkaku   
turned and charged into the battle against the soldiers, the Ryuuseisui   
going beside him. It wasn't until after he knocked out three soldiers   
did Shunkaku hear his twin's first note. It was strained, but strong,   
warning the soldiers to retreat first beforehand. Of course, Shun took   
that as the inituative to cover his ears without any more ado.  
  
His instinct had been right when they told him that the soldiers   
were not going to retreat, despite the gentle prodding Koutoku gave.   
Although a few looked confused and some even looked back up the moutain   
longingly when the music started, there were none that were willing to  
go.  
  
Stubborn. The whole lot of them.  
  
Soon, the gentle notes of perswasion turned sharper as Koutoku   
realized he couldn't get the soldiers to stop in their trampede even with  
his power as a seishi.  
  
Shunkaku gave a mental wince when he realized that his aniki was   
annoyed. Okay, so aniki could be annoyed easily- it didn't make it any   
less scarier when he was. With a grunt, Shun pressed his hands tighter,   
hoping to shut out every note- even when it wasn't directed at him.   
Never at him.  
  
He watched, eyes wide as always, as the soldiers' looks of wild   
murder began transforming. It turned into something more painful, some-  
thing that told Shunkaku, although he could not hear the screams, of   
just how in pain they seemed to be.  
  
But the younger twin wasn't worried. He knew that no matter how   
much Koutoku hated soldiers, he would not kill them. Hurt them, and make  
then realize just what they did, yes. But not kill them.   
  
Making sure that no one was trying to sneak up to his aniki   
while the other boy was concentrating on his song, Shunkaku nodded to   
himself, his hands still over his ears. As he figured. Kou-chan was   
probably just going to put them all to sleep afterwards, like he always   
did.  
  
The remaining villagers had taken hint once the song started to   
also cover their ears. Since the music was not directed towards them,   
they could easily move their hands up to their ears and block out the   
music, which was something that the soldiers could not do, no matter how  
hard they tried to shove their palms against the sides of their head.  
  
One by one, the soldiers slowly drifted into dreamland, dropping  
to the ground like flies. They remained unharmed, the only disturbance   
to the forest only their heavy snoring.   
  
The music ended as soon as if began, and Shun lowered his hands   
slowly, eyes glued to the scene of the forests, covered with the   
sleeping bodies of soldiers and terrified villagers that had but a few  
seconds ago, been their prey. Now all eyes were on them as the danger   
was past.   
  
Shun nearly grinned, but stopped himself in time. "I guess we   
saved the day." he said cockily, smiling just a bit as everyone else   
looked nothing but suspicous.   
  
There was no response. Shunkaku frowned, and then his head to look  
over his shoulders. "Aniki?" He sounded a bit worried.  
  
Koutoku stood there, the child clinging to his legs, face looking  
pale. His expression seemed frozen, and there was a sad and distant look  
in his eye that Shunkaku saw often, but was never able to figure out   
what it was.   
  
"Aniki?" Shunkaku dropped his Ryuuseisui unceremoniously to the   
ground, and walked over to his twin. "What's wrong?"  
  
Still no response.  
  
"Aniki....? ANIKI!"  
  
And then, darkness.  
  
  
  
End chapter 1.   
  
Yes, I know. Very short- it only seems like a scene. (To me, anyway)   
But I didn't have time to keep wriitng (It's already midnight and I have  
two tests tomorrow) What happened? Wanna know? Wait for part 2! *cackles  
evilly* Oh, my dearest twins... *sniffle* You hurt those that you love.  
j/k. But really! It's GOING to get interesting so STAY and WAIT for   
part two. *thinks* on the other hand.... comments! Feedback! 


	3. Chapter 2

The twins' story... if Koutoku had been a Suzaku Seishi. My experiment?   
Nothing in the series had broken the twins' bond, not even death. The   
only thing that seperated them was love. Love of peace, and love of a   
girl. Now, that I can understand- but to make the situation even more   
complicated here, would being enemies born by blood break the bond that   
they have? Would *duty* and *destiny* force them apart?  
  
  
  
Wishful Thinking: Chapter 2  
"Complex Plot"  
by: Shamera  
  
  
Nakago frowned as he heard the news of the blockade set to trap   
Tamahome to coming to Kotou. With Seiryuu no Miko already here, there was  
no time to waste in gathering the Seiryuu no Seishi. So far, there   
were already three that was found by Nakago. Soi, Tomo, and Ashitare.   
  
But there were still too many seishi to gather, and Nakago didn't   
have the time nor patience to do so. Seiryuu no Miko will not gather her  
seishi either, so intent was she on snarling Suzaku's Tamahome.   
  
This would no bode well for Nakago's plans.   
  
The blond shogan shared a small frown as he pondered on the events  
that led to his takeover. He would have to find all the Seishi, true,   
but he would also have to stop Suzaku. Even after Lady Yui made her wish  
for him to become a diety, the Suzaku's would still be able to wish   
him out of it. No... he would have to kill the Lady Miaka either before  
or after the Summoning of Seiryuu. Before seemed fine to him.  
  
Of course, now that he tricked the Lady Yui into hating her rival,  
it wouldn't be long before killing the Suzaku no Miko would not stirr   
even his Miko's head. But until then, he would have to wait and find his  
own plans to stop Suzaku from being summoned.   
  
"My Lord!"  
  
Nakago halted in mid-step towards the Lady Yui's room, and turned  
to greet the out-of-breath soldier. The glare that was sent made the poor  
soldier think twice before he found his voice again.   
  
"Yes?" Nakago asked in a flat tone.  
  
The soldier faltered for a moment, near stammering, before he was   
met with Nakago's impatient look. "The troops in Konan figured to have  
found the next Seiryuu Warrior two nights ago."  
  
"Oh?" Nakago asked dismissingly. Although his interest had been   
picked up, there were many that soldiers mistaken the Seiryuu Warriors,   
especially those who they can't defeat.   
  
"Yes, m'Lord." the soldier continued, knowing that to pause was   
to court death. "They say that he had the looks to be only a child, and  
was not only able to defeat them with Ryuuseisui, he was also able to   
make a mirror image of himself and then put all the troops to sleep."  
  
Nakago gave a nod to the soldier, staying silent. This bore   
looking into. Although the troops might have been wrong, if this was a   
Seiryuu Warrior, then Nakago would have to make sure that this... child,   
were to stay in his place. Especially a multi-talented one who would   
be closer to the Lady Yui's age than he was.   
  
He was about to dismiss the soldier when he noticed that the poor   
man seemed to be extremely nervous. "Anything else to report?"  
  
"Well..." The soldier swallowed. "It was said that he first   
glowed the blue of Divine Seiryuu, but then the red of the hated Suzaku   
in battle. Of course, it could have been an illusion, but I thought my   
lord would have wanted to know."  
  
"Indeed." Nakago mused. Then, with a curt and dismissive nod, he   
turned on his heel and continued his brisk walk. "That will be all,   
soldier. Report to your post before I tell you of what to do."  
  
"Yes, Lord Nakago." The soldier bowed, and retreated.  
  
He would have to look into the subject later. As of the moment,   
he had to tend to the Lady Yui's wishes.  
  
(yes, that is a pun. *cackles*)  
  
***  
  
"...ou-chan? Aniki?"  
  
Koutoku woke to his brother's heedless shakings and paniced voice.  
"Shun?" He winced slightly as his hand went up to his head. Dear Suzaku!  
That was one hell of a headache.  
  
"Aniki!" Shunkaku looked wild with relief as he saw his brother's  
eyes open. He grabbed his twin's arm, not knowing the strength in which  
he put that grip. "Don't move, aniki. One of the soldiers managed to   
shoot you."  
  
"Shoot?" Koutoku closed his eyes for the briefest moment, trying   
to remember what had happened. The last thing he remembered was that he  
had been trying to put all the soldiers to sleep, and... well, he didn't  
remember getting shot. "But... I don't remember."  
  
Shun shook his head. "The doctors didn't think that you would.   
They said that the arrow had been doused with mild poisons. Not enough  
to kill on contact, but enough to make you unaware of it." And *then* let  
it slowly kill the victim, Shunkaku didn't add.  
  
Koutoku barely heard, but closed his eyes again and took a deep   
breath, hoping to at least leviate the headache. Then, without warning,  
he pushed himself up.  
  
Pain flared through his right shoulder, numbing his arm and making  
him tumble back into the pillow, energy so easily spent.   
  
"Aniki!" Shun's voice was sharp. "Didn't I tell you not to move?"  
The younger twin knew that moving wasn't enough to hurt Koutoku, and   
that the pain was cause him to remember to stay still, but he didn't like  
his brother to be in pain.   
  
Koutoku grimaced. How in the world was he to travel like this?  
  
"There were only a few injuries, thanks to you." Shunkaku was   
saying, breaking off the topic. "The worst of them was a broken bone, but  
that was because the man fell while trying to run away. All the injuries  
that the soldiers gave out were small piercing wounds and a few light   
cuts from the swords."  
  
Shunkaku peered at his twin. "Are you listening to me, Aniki?"  
  
Koutoku gave a slow nodd, enough to tell Shunkaku that, no, his   
brother was not listening to him.   
  
Shun sighed. Well, he had to give his Kou-chan some rest, but he   
didn't really want to. He knew that Koutoku was worried about slowing   
down the group and that he could tell his twin that the troops have   
already backed off, finding what they wanted- which turned out to be   
Suzaku Seishi Tamahome.   
  
He could tell all this to Koutoku and go back to Kotou. But...   
did he really want to go back to Kotou? Or was it because he just found  
out that Suzaku no Miko had arrived, and along with her, the Seiryuu no   
Miko?  
  
"Shun-chan?"  
  
The younger twin looked up into his brother's confused eyes.   
Koutoku looked a little pale, but otherwise fine. As Shunkaku blinked to  
show that he hadn't been following whatever was going on, Kou-chan's   
eyes relaxed. "What were you thinking about, Shun?"  
  
Shunkaku gave a messy grin. "Something. Not gonna tell you. Oh, and  
besides, I think I've worried you enough. The doctors said that you   
should get a lot of rest, and I know that you never get rest when I'm   
around, whether that be a good thing or a bad thing."  
  
Koutoku rolled his eyes.   
  
"But you know me," Shunkaku added, smiling. "I'm not leaving until   
I see that you have fallen asleep and am getting your rest."  
  
"You're horrible." Koutoku muttered, closing his eyes to do as his  
brother advised. It wasn't very hard for him to find himself asleep,   
since he had been more tired than he thought.   
  
"That's what younger brothers are here for."  
  
That was the last thing that Koutoku heard before he fell asleep.  
  
***  
  
Shunkaku heaved out a sigh as he closed the door behind him. The   
Suzaku no Miko had appeared. And along with her, the Seiryuu no Miko.   
This was so unfair! Ever since the twins had discovered that they were   
seishi, they had done some research on the last two Mikos. The first had  
appeared over two hundred years ago, and the next Miko seventy five years  
ago. But now, with two Mikos at the same time? Both as sworn enemies?  
  
Shunkaku's mind whirled. Grabbing the closest seat that he could   
find, he plopped himself down into it. But... he and aniki were born   
enemies, and they got along with each other fine... more than fine! So   
could the same happen with the Mikos? Could be some way... could the   
two be able to get along with each other?  
  
He knew in his heart that Seiryuu no Miko would be good, no matter  
what that she represented war and everything in Kotou. He just knew that  
she would be kind and sweet and *everything* else, despite the lives   
that he and aniki had led (that made him believe that kindness was a rare  
thing.) He just knew.  
  
"Shunkaku?"  
  
The boy looked up to see a villager, a nice old lady that had   
taken then in now and then, slowly walk up to him.  
  
Getting up from the seat so that she oculd sit down, Shunkaku gave  
the elder a smile and backed a bit to give her room. the elder smiled   
back at him and patted his hand, which still rested on a table.  
  
"Dear boy, your brother will be fine. Stop worrying." she paused,   
and sighed. "Of course, you could have told us that you were seishi. We   
might have been able to accomidate you better."  
  
Shun shook his head. "Aniki said that no one should know until we  
were ready to be called on be the animal Gods. He said that until then,  
we wouldn't really be seishi."  
  
The elderly woman smiled. "Ah, yes. Dear Koutoku would say some-  
thing like that, wouldn't he? That sweet boy... far too wise for his   
years, I say. Poor thing shouldn't be taking everything so hard."  
  
Shun's smile became a little more strained.   
  
"But I must say, he did a wonderful job of bringing you up, my   
dear. Simply a wonderful job," the woman finished with a mumble. Then   
she looked up at Shunkaku. "You're not going to leave your poor brother   
behind, are you? I heard the young'ins say that you looked prepared to   
leave."  
  
The younger twin's smile dropped altogether. The thoughts about  
leaving did nothing but declare him guilty.  
  
Either the lady did not notice, or she chose to ignore the haunted   
expression in his eyes, continuing, "I knew you wouldn't leave your   
brother, though. I certainly don't believe what they say. Your brother   
cares about you too much to go through Konan without you. And I know   
you feel the same way," she stopped for a moment, as if finally coming   
to a conclusion.. "Unless... you actually want to go to Kotou without   
your brother?"  
  
Going without Kouotoku?  
  
"No!" Shunkaku exclaimed strongly, drawing back from the table.   
His eyes bore a look of terror and fear so strong... for it had taken   
years to form. "I mean... no." He said a little more calmly.  
  
Now that he was thinking about it this way, he couldn't leave his   
twin. Sure, he had to serve the Miko... but she had to find him first,   
right? There was no rules about him having to be anywhere. It just   
wouldn't do to have his brother go alone into a country he's only heard   
about...  
  
"I'm staying in Konan." He replied, voice calm. A little too calm,  
maybe. His mind was clear, and he felt that he helped solve all his   
problems with his decision. Shaking his head, he said, "I'm not leaving   
Koutoku."  
  
The lady smiled, a smile already knowing that Shunkaku would say   
just that. Perhaps she had schemed Shun to staying with his brother,   
perhaps she had just cleared his mind from all the worryful decisions.   
  
Once again reaching to to pat his hand, she said, "I knew that was   
what you were going to say, dear." Then she stood up, and leaned on the  
table slightly, regarding the boy. "You have a good heart, Shunkaku-chan.  
It's just that sometimes, and this goes for your brother also, you   
want to do the right thing so much that it clouds up your head."  
  
Shunkaku didn't say anything, still musing over his thoughts.   
  
Turning, but still facing the younger twin, the elderly lady bade  
her farewell and good wishes, then walked out of the room.  
  
*Could that be true?* Shunkaku thought to himself. *Aniki always   
says that I have a good heart, and I know that he does.... And I also   
know that aniki makes mistakes sometimes, too... just like I do. Could   
it be because we only want to do the right thing?*  
  
After thinking about it some more, Shunkaku decided that he liked  
that explaination.   
  
***  
  
So it was set.  
  
Nakago smirked as he watched from afar the twins getting ready to  
travel again. He had left Yui-sama in the company of his newly shaped   
Tamahome... just for a few days to test him out. After following this   
legend of the seishi who served both Seiryuu and Suzaku, Nakago had   
easily found out that they were twins- twins that served different sides.  
  
This was a bonus he hadn't expected. It made his plans of   
destroying the Suzaku even easier. With the bond that twins shared, even  
twin who served different sides, they would be the easiest to manipulate.  
Their love for each other, if it wasn't able to be twisted, would make   
them do anything for the other. If he had one, then the other would fall.  
  
Which meant that they would both have to serve him, Suzaku or not.  
  
It made his plan a lot easier. He would switch them. Make the wrong  
one go to the Suzaku no Miko. They were certainly alike enough to fool  
even the Four Gods scroll.   
  
If one failed, and the real one ran to the Suzaku seishi... then,   
they wouldn't believe that he was the real seishi since they had already  
seen him as a fake one.   
  
It would be no touble making them do as he wished. It he could   
convice Yui-sama to hate the best friend that she had since childhood,   
then he could break the bond of twins which had been meant to be broken.  
  
***  
  
Soi cast a disguisted look as she pulled the hood over her head.  
Lord Nakago asking her to befriend two twerps? Using her as a back-up?!  
  
As much as she hated him for that, she found that the hate was not  
very strong and lacked something. It seemed like she was forcing herself  
to hate him for doing what he was doing to her. Sure, she didn't care   
about being used, but she was insulted that he would use someone like   
her as a *back-up*.   
  
Especially to twist those little goody twins around. If those two   
didn't trust Nakago, they had to trust her.   
  
Which meant that she had to dress up as a village, and first gain   
their sympathy by pretending to be with a tragic past.   
  
*If they knew my real past,* she mused, *Tragic wouldn't even be   
used to describle it!*  
  
But for now, she was wandering around the camp of people from both  
Konan and Kotou, both wanting to escape the civil wars. They were all   
forelorn, as if fearing to hope, yet wanting to so much.   
  
Taking a deep breath, she made her first move.   
  
"Oh! Sorry!" The young boy which looked to be about fifteen said,  
bending down to help her pick up the fruits that she had dropped. "I'm   
very sorry, miss, I hadn't been watching where I was going."  
  
She pulled her hood closer to her head, but smiled. "That's okay.  
There's no harm done. I hadn't been watching where I was going either.   
I guess the fault should be placed on me."  
  
The boy looked up and gave her a brief smile, which she was shocked  
to see, was more happy and hopeful than the entire camp combined. "The   
fault's mine. I've been doing this a lot, lately. Or, that's what my   
brother tells me."  
  
"Oh!" Soi pretended to be thinking hard, "You much be the one of   
te Bo twins! I've heard so much about you two. People say so much about   
the two of you."  
  
The boy faultered but for a moment, which ordinary people would not  
have noticed. But Soi, being trained in the art that she was in,   
noticed very easily.   
  
"Then you much know me and by twin, Shunkaku." The boy said,   
standing with her gather fruits and handing it to her to put back in her  
basket. "But I'm afraid I don't know anything about you, miss...?"  
  
"Roiu Misami," she replied quickly, wincing as she realized she   
had no danger to be revealing her real name. Which was something she   
should have done, of course, considering that she responded faster to   
her real name.   
  
"Miss Roiu. Pleased to meet you. I hope you see you around." The   
boy's smile was genuine, and Soi wondered just where he got his   
enthusiasum.   
  
As the boy started to walk away, Soi wondered about what she   
should do. She had to do something to make him less formal... it was   
unnerving, really, to know that she would be shattering his trust soon  
if he kept up this act of innocence.   
  
"Oh, and Koutoku-san?" She called, not even turning. She could tell  
that the older twin had turned when he heard of her call, wondering why  
she was calling him.   
  
She finally turned her head, and pulled down her hood as she did   
so, giving him a small smile that, although not as genuine as his, was   
enough to please Soi about her acting. "Just call me Misami."  
  
Koutoku smiled, a confused smile that could be wondering whether   
why she wanted him to be so informal, or how she knew his name.   
  
Turning back again, she pulled over her hood and gave herself a   
small amount of pleasure to know that she had pulled her first act off   
perfectly. Within time, both twins would be too trusting of her to rely  
on anyone else's word. She would lead them straight into Nakago's trap.  
  
She smiled under the hood and pulled the feeling of cloth closer   
to her face, brushing her hands into her coppery hair. Is she could not  
seduce the older brother first.  
  
***  
  
Koutoku's smile faultered as soon as he turned away from the lady.   
Misami, she had said. She didn't looke like a woman whose name Misami   
would have suited her. She looked more hardened to be a delicate stream  
of water, her eyes hiding something that gave her a mysterious, yet   
dangerour look. He would have to be careful around her.   
  
Realizing that he could not linger in thoughts like that, he stored  
the knowladge to the back of his head. There would be preperations to   
make as the group moved deeper into Konan. Although they were not being   
followed by Kotou soldiers anymore, Koutoku got a strange, eerie feeling   
whenever he stopped, saying that he should move on soon if he didn't want  
something bad to happen.   
  
"Aniki!"  
  
Koutoku turned to see his twin catching up with him, looking like  
he had just ran a long way.   
  
"Aniki!" Shunkaku called again as he stopped running, his lungs   
screaming for air. He had been on the lookout in the forest to assure   
the villagers of safe passage.   
  
"Shun-chan? Daijobu?" Koutoku asked as he leaned over to support   
his brother, who seemed like he would collapse at any moment.   
  
Shunkaku only shook his head as he heaved in breaths. "Hitori-san  
was attacked... not Kotou soldiers..." he paused to breathe in deeply   
as he slowly regained his breath. "There's bandits in the forest, aniki.  
Bandits and bounty hunters who would give an arm or leg to find two   
seishi, one of Kotou and Konan."  
  
Koutoku tightened his jaw. "We've got to warn the villagers before   
we go." He spoke, ignoring his own obvious danger. He looked at his   
brother intently. "Go pack with the rest of the villagers, Shun-chan. I  
want you to leave as soon as possible with the doctors. I'm going to   
see if I can help with the children."  
  
Shunkaku shook his head. "I'm going wherever you are, aniki."  
  
Koutoku glared at his younger twin. "No, you're not. You're going   
ahead to the capital of Konan to help plea for the safety of the people."  
  
"Aniki! What would they think of a Seiryuu Seishi pleaing fot the  
safety of the Konan people? They would think I was trying to play a joke  
on them! Who knows what they would do. Who knows how they would treat   
someone of the opposite side?"  
  
Koutoku sighed. "We have only a few days'jouney to the capital.   
If you want, you can stop in the city and wait for me to catch up. I'll   
only be a few hours behidn you. I won't take long for me to pack."  
  
Shunkaku took a deep breath, and then said strongly, "I'm going   
back for Hitori-san. After that, we'll help move the people out of here.  
I'll help Hitori-san out. He might want to be with his wife and children  
so I'll stay behidn and help out."  
  
Koutoku opened his mouth to say something, and then stopped him-  
self. There was no way to stop Shunkaku when he had made up his mind.   
"Alright then. I suggest we warn the villagers that we're being persued."  
  
***  
  
Soi could only watch as the villagers started packing, some calmly,  
the most of them with a panicked gleam in their eyes.   
  
There were children rushing around her, trying to find their   
parents in the midst of all the people. They didn't concern her, though.   
Children were people who would grow up to be the same people around her.   
None of them were any different.   
  
The people she was looking for were different, though. They were   
chosen by Gods. Different Gods, yes, but Gods nevertheless. They were   
too important to her plans to stay by Nakago for her to care what she   
was going to do.   
  
She had to delay them. Stall them and seperate them from the rest  
of the group so that they would not be found by the Suzaku. Try to mix  
them up about which God they had to help. Convice them that they Suzaku   
were evil, and that they had to exchange places to teach the Suzaku   
seishi a careful, painless lesson.   
  
Yes, a lesson that shouldn't impact the Suzaku seishi too much.   
Just probably destroy their chance at summoning the animal God.  
  
  
  
  
End chapter 2.  
  
Well, that was impulsive. I hadn't really thought about adding Soi into   
this story. In fact, I don't know how this story would have turned out   
anyway. I kind of let my fingers do the typing. ^-^ I never thought about  
Shun-chan leaving, nor did I think of him trying to repair Miaka and   
Yui's relationship until I wrote it down. Weird, ne? 


End file.
